Shloka 42
Śiva–Arjuna Yuddha and the Subjugation of Pride (Śiva-parīkṣā)
अगुणाय नमस्तेस्तु सगुणाय नमोनमः । अरूपाय सरूपाय सकलायाकलाय च
aguṇāya namastestu saguṇāya namonamaḥ | arūpāya sarūpāya sakalāyākalāya ca
Salutations to You who are beyond all qualities (nirguṇa), and repeated salutations to You who are with qualities (saguṇa). Salutations to You who are formless, and to You who assume form; to You who are the manifest Whole, and to You who are the unmanifest, transcendent Reality.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: Not tied to a specific Jyotirliṅga; it is a doctrinal salutation balancing nirguṇa/saguṇa and arūpa/sarūpa—typical of Śaiva hymnic theology.
Significance: Supports darśana-bhakti: pilgrims reconcile temple-form worship (saguṇa, sarūpa, sakala) with the transcendent Śiva beyond attributes (nirguṇa, arūpa, akala).
Mantra: अगुणाय नमस्तेस्तु सगुणाय नमोनमः । अरूपाय सरूपाय सकलायाकलाय च
Type: stotra
Role: teaching
FAQs
It proclaims Shiva as Pati who is simultaneously transcendent (nirguṇa, arūpa, akala) and immanent (saguṇa, sarūpa, sakala), guiding the devotee to honor both the highest absolute and Shiva’s gracious, approachable forms—key to liberation through devotion and right understanding.
The verse validates saguna worship—such as the Śiva-liṅga, mūrti, and divine attributes—while affirming that these are doors to the same formless Shiva; in Shaiva Siddhanta, the visible form supports concentration and grace, leading the soul toward the transcendent Lord.
Practice japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) while contemplating Shiva as both formless and with form; in pūjā, worship the liṅga with devotion, and in dhyāna, rest the mind in the akala (unmanifest) Shiva beyond attributes.